 I couldn't resit sharing this wonderful article with my Brides to Be by Beth Herman. Typically, Autumn Brides begin finalizing their wedding plans by June and July, so reserving your ceremony now would be in perfect timing for a Fall Wedding! I hope you'll enjoy this article as much as I did. See you at the Alter!
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Incredible Invitations! Planning Your Fall Wedding by Beth Herman | Monday, August 15th, 2011 | From: Home and Garden
When love is in the air – and the air itself is a little crisper than it was in June and July – an autumn wedding can open the door to all kinds of creative ideas and possibilities. These range from seasonal venues to rustic décor and rich color palettes (think caramel; burgundy; chocolate; eggplant; copper; red; gold) to heartier nuptial feasts that reflect the robust fall harvest. In literature, a reference to fall is said to mean wisdom and maturity, as well as abundance, and exchanging vows at this time of year may symbolize that the bride and groom are entering into a union imbued with these elements.
With September considered the most popular month for weddings, as we move further into the season traditional hotels, inns, restaurants, and other function spaces may become more available later in the season, once the wedding rush is over. But a little investigation and ingenuity may also reveal a fall foliage-flanked barn (some country barns have even been renovated by hospitality groups to accommodate weddings), bright apple orchard, romantic winery or secluded country inn surrounded by a burst of leafy color, each of which lends itself to creating a truly special event not usually found in more conventional places.
If getting married outdoors, remember clear fall days can sparkle with sunshine and warmer temperatures, but cool or cold nights can prevail as the season progresses, depending on where you live. Ensuring the comfort of your guests and preparing for any contingencies may include a tent, heaters, a decorative basket or two of shawls or wraps (scouring vintage shops can help keep costs down here), and even a fire pit for added warmth and conversation.
Autumnal wedding décor knows almost no boundaries in its variations of deep-hued seasonal flowers, grasses and grains that may include mums, poppies, sunflowers (growing from late August until very early fall), marigolds, bundles of raffia-tied gourds, nuts, goldenrod, wheat and more. If pumpkins have always delighted you, available colors may come as a nice surprise with some of the best party and event planners incorporating white, tan, red, blue, green, and even pink pumpkins into eye-popping fall motifs, with sizes ranging from a few ounces (about 3 inches tall and often called sugar pumpkins as they are also best for baking) to their shin-high relatives that can weigh 20 or 30 pounds. Used alone or in groupings as centerpieces, and even scooped out to hold festive flower and plant arrangements, traditional pumpkins become works of art on a singular day that celebrates your union.
According to some florists, bridal bouquets tend to be more structured and shaped for fall, with velvet or textured sashes adding a seasonal flourish. Wedding attire should also reflect the richness of autumn with brides opting for ivory, antique white or cream dresses, rather than the stark white and blush colors of summer. For the bridal party, if it’s later in the season, you may want to avoid pastels and choose heavier textures and fabrics like satin or velvet, or a combination, in deeper tones. (Don’t forget about autumn-appropriate make-up as well, with summer’s pinks, peaches and frosts yielding to shades that complement darker clothing.)
Where wedding fare is concerned, autumn provides an unparalleled bounty of root vegetables (carrots; turnips; parsnips; pumpkins; sweet potatoes; winter squash), along with fresh pears, pomegranates, apples (think cider-infused roasts), chestnuts, and specialty cheeses. Aged sheep’s milk cheese, for example, is reportedly best at this time of year due to milking cycles. Almost everybody’s favorite – apple spice cake – makes for a spirited autumn wedding cake, and sugary pumpkin tarts or pumpkin crème brulee are sweet tastes of the season in festive, wedding-style portions.
If moderate temperatures, spectacular foliage, unique venues, rich garden bounties, and even favorable literary symbolism are appealing components of your marriage equation, a fall wedding is the perfect way to celebrate this very special event.
Beth Herman is a freelance writer and frequent Farmers' Almanac contributor with interests in healthy living and food, family, animal welfare, architecture and design, religion, and yoga. She writes for a variety of national and regional publications, institutions, and websites. Her stories, “A Finger in the Wind: Forecasting the Weather from Ancient Signs to Satellites” and "Protecting Your Pets in Summer and Winter" can be seen in the 2013 Farmers' Almanac.
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Small and Simple or choose to go Grand and Lavish, we offer the perfect ceremony options for every bride's desire.
 (These are the Marriage Statements read at the marriage of Nancy and Neale Walsch)
Some Uncommon Wedding Vows Minister:
Neale and Nancy have not come here tonight to make a solemn promise or to exchange a sacred vow.
Nancy and Neale have come here to make public their love for each other; to give noticement to their truth; to declare their choice to live and partner and grow together - out loud and in your presence, out of their desire that we will all come to feel a very real and intimate part of their decision, and thus make it even more powerful.
They've also come here tonight in the further hope that their ritual of bonding will help bring us all closer together. If you are here tonight with a spouse or partner, let this ceremony be a reminder - a rededication of your own loving bond.
We'll begin by asking the question: Why get married? Neale and Nancy have answered this question for themselves, and they've told me the answer. Now I want to ask them one more time, so they can be sure of their answer, certain of their understanding, and firm in their commitment to the truth they share.
(Minister gets two red roses from table . . .)
This is the Ceremony of Roses, in which Nancy and Neale share their understandings, and commemorate that sharing.
Now Nancy and Neale, you have told me it is your firm understanding that you are not entering into this marriage for reasons of security . . .
. . . that the only real security is not in owning or possessing, nor in being owned or possessed . . .
. . .not in demanding or expecting, and not even in hoping, that what you think you need in life will be supplied by the other . . .
. . .but rather, in knowing that everything you need in life . . . all the love, all the wisdom, all the insight, all the power, all the knowledge, all the understanding, all the nurturing, all the compassion, and all the strength . . . resides within you . . .
. . . and that you are not marrying the other in hopes of getting these things, but in hopes of giving these gifts, that the other might have them in even greater abundance.
Is that your firm understanding tonight?
(They say, "It is.")
And Nancy and Neale, you have told me it is your firm understanding you are not entering into this marriage as a means of in any way limiting, controlling, hindering, or restricting each other from any true expression and honest celebration of that which is the highest and best within you - including your love of God, your love of life, your love of people, your love of creativity, your love of work, or any aspect of your being which genuinely represents you, and brings you joy. Is that still your firm understanding tonight?
(They say, "It is.")
Finally, Nancy and Neale, you have said to me that you do not see marriage as producing obligations but rather as providing opportunities . . .
. . . opportunities for growth, for full Self-expression, for lifting your lives to their highest potential, for healing every false thought or small idea you ever had about yourself, and for ultimate reunion with God through the communion of your two souls . . .
. . . that this is truly a Holy Communion . . . a journey through life with one you love as an equal partner, sharing equally both the authority and the responsibilities inherent in any partnership, bearing equally what burdens there be, basking equally in the glories.
Is that the vision you wish to enter into now?
(They say, "It is.")
I now give you these red roses, symbolizing your individual understandings of these Earthly things; that you both know and agree how life will be with you in bodily form, and within the physical structure called marriage. Give these roses now to each other as a symbol of your sharing of these agreements and understandings with love.
Now, please each of you take this white rose. It is a symbol of your larger understandings, of your spiritual nature and your spiritual truth. It stands for the purity of your Real and Highest Self, and of the purity of God's love, which shines upon you now, and always.
(Minister gives Nancy the rose with Neale's ring on the stem, and Neale the rose with Nancy's ring on it.)
What symbols do you bring as a reminder of the promises given and received today?
(They each remove the rings from the stems, giving them to the minister, who holds them in her hand as she says . . .)
A circle is the symbol of the Sun, and the Earth, and the universe. It is a symbol of holiness, and of perfection and peace. It is also the symbol of the eternality of spiritual truth, love, and life . . . that which has no beginning and no end. And in this moment, Nancy and Neale choose for it to also be a symbol of unity, but not of possession; of joining, but not of restricting; of encirclement, but not of entrapment. For love cannot be possessed, nor can it be restricted. And the soul can never be entrapped.
Now Neale and Nancy, please take these rings you wish to give, one to the other.
(They take each other's rings.)
Neale, please repeat after me.
I, Neale . . . ask you, Nancy . . . to be my partner, my lover, my firend, and my wife . . . I announce and declare my intention to give you my deepest friendship and love . . . not only when your moments are high . . . but when they are low . . . not only when you remember clearly Who You Are . . . but when you forget . . . not only when you are acting with love . . . but when you are not . . . I further announce . . . before God and those here present . . . that I will seek always to see the Light of Divinity within you . . . and seek always to share . . . the Light of Divinity within me . . . even, and especially . . . in whatever moments of darkness may come.
It is my intention to be with you forever . . . in a Holy Partnership of the Soul . . . that we may do together God's work . . . sharing all that is good within us . . . with all those whose lives we touch.
(The minister turns to Nancy.)
Nancy, do you choose to grant Neale's request that you be his wife?
(She answers, "I do.")
Now Nancy, please repeat after me.
I, Nancy . . . ask you, Neale . . . (She makes the same vow).
(Minister turns to Neale.)
Neale, do you choose to grant Nancy's request that you be her husband?
(He answers, "I do.")
Please then, both of you, take hold of the rings you would give each other, and repeat after me: With this ring . . . I thee wed . . . I take now the ring you give to me . . . (they exchange rings) . . . and place it upon my hand . . . (they place the rings on their hands) . . . that all may see and know . . . of my love for you.
(The minister closes . . .)
We recognize with full awareness that only a couple can administer the sacrament of marriage to each other, and only a couple can sanctify it. Neither my church, nor any power vested in me by the State, can grant me the authority to declare what only two hearts can declare, and what only two souls can make real.
And so now, inasmuch as you, Nancy, and you, Neale, have announced the truths that are already written in your hearts, and have witnessed the same in the presence of these, your friends, and the One Living Spirit - we observe joyfully that you have declared yourself to be . . . husband and wife.
Let us join now in prayer.
Spirit of Love and Life: out of this whole world, two souls have found each other. Their destinies shall now be woven into one design, and their perils and their joys shall not be known apart.
Neale and Nancy, may your home be a place of happiness for all who enter it; a place where the old and the young are renewed in each other's company, a place for growing and a place for sharing, a place for music and a place for laughter, a place for prayer and a place for love.
May those who are nearest to you be constantly enriched by the beauty and the bounty of your love for one another, may your work be a joy of your life that serves the world, and may your days be good and long upon the Earth.
Amen, and amen.
From "Conversations with God: An Uncommon Dialogue, Book 3" by Neale Donald Walsch
The author wishes that "people would cut these [Marriage Statements] out, or copy them, and use them for their wedding. I bet we'd see the divorce rate plummet."See you at the Alter,
Rev. Allie
Everybody loves a wedding … but are we living in a nation of stressed out brides? Planning a wedding can be downright painful ... and all the people pleasing it often requires can zap the spirit and joy out of being a bride. Bridal stress is unique. It is essentially temporary, yet is connected to much deeper family issues and emotional challenges. It can easily be triggered by practical issues – ask any bride who has tried to interpret a tricky vendor contract or shop for bridesmaid dresses with their attendants -- and is exacerbated by family dynamics . There is often a decision to make, or challenge to resolve, at every turn of that journey to the altar. Every little nuance -- and nuisance -- can put you in a momentary tizzy.
It is no wonder some women get the bridal blues. Here are some of the challenges, and the antidotes, for brides-to-be:
1. Bridezillas are made, not born. It’s supposed to be the happiest time of your life – and you want it to be – yet planning a wedding is like working a second job. You have to find the time to tend to a multitude of details as part of an already busy schedule while managing vendors, family anxieties and demands, your groom, your emotions and an array of tricky wedding dynamics. True, some brides are downright demanding but most are nice people, sucked into the vortex of wedding planning stress, and overwhelmed by the stress, pressure and expectations of those around her.
Wedding Goddess Antidote: A bride has to include stress management, self-nurturing and time to chill out as an integral part of her wedding planning process. When you feel the stress building, take time out, go for a walk, slip into a movie, get a massage, go for a manicure, write in a journal, do something un-wedding. You have to love, honor and cherish yourself if you want to be loved, honored and cherished by someone else!
2. Everyone has something to say about your wedding – and you are not alone in feeling you can’t win! No matter who you are or what age … everyone has something to say about your wedding. You may be showered with congratulations and gifts, but you are simultaneously bombarded with unsolicited advice, wedding horror stories you don’t want to hear, and negative vibes from well-meaning friends and relatives who are too lost in their own experience to realize they are imposing on you. People tend to see your wedding as a chance to fulfill their own needs and family dynamics erupt in every which direction because as the clan prepares to gather they begin to act out what it’s all about for them – not you! The issues are classic – mom wants it to be the wedding she never had, sister or best friend wishes it were her, your groom is afraid to stand up to his family. Or the experience may be fraught with more modern challenges such as questions about mixing faiths, opting for a non-religious wedding or planning an alternative kind of affair.
Wedding Goddess Antidote: A Bride has to clarify the wedding she truly wants, try to stay centered and set clear boundaries that no one can penetrate with words or attitudes. If all else fails, consider this: The reality is that weddings tend to be for other people, but marriage is for you two. Focus on what your marriage will mean to you.
 3. Getting married can stir up a lot of emotions. The process itself sets forth period of growth and change that can be very confusing and nerve -wracking. Once you decide to marry you will begin the process of getting ready for marriage, and unresolved emotions about parents and family, past loves and concerns about the person you have chosen will come to the surface to be explored. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t marry, it just means inner work is called for along with all the outer preparations.
Wedding Goddess Antidote: A bride can embrace the awareness that she is embarking on a journey of evolution from one part of life to another, and honor and address the emotions and fears that arise. Trust they are natural and pay attention to any issues that might require support or counseling. It is important to stay on top of your emotions and be honest with yourself during this time. Don't sweep things under the rug.
4. Wedding planning can be a crisis. There is so much focus on the external experience that a bride can become mired in details and demands and lose track of herself and the reason she is getting married in the first place. When she feels that planning the wedding of her dreams means going to battle – with parents, family, friends, groom, and almost anyone involved – she becomes hostile and reactive. What began as a joyful experience turns into a fight … a fight for having the perfect wedding. It is exhausting and can turn even sweet tempered people can turn mean and cranky.
Wedding Goddess Antidote: Remember that the true meaning of marriage is to bring two together in sacred union – the party is meant to be a celebration not something that will kill your spirit in the planning. When two people in love literally step up to commit themselves to one another in matrimony they have the opportunity to unite not just their hearts, lives and families, but to unite their very beings. And it is not just the couple that benefits from the ceremony – anyone who witnesses a wedding can be empowered and inspired by the love in the room. Focus on the love and remember it is always your aim.
5. Your happiness in life DOES NOT hinge on your wedding alone (it really doesn't ... so lighten up!) Some brides believe that they must have a perfect wedding in order to have a perfect marriage and a perfect life. They give the wedding day too much power. They begin to treat the wedding itself as something to be worshipped and served. There is an underlying fear that if something goes wrong with the wedding, it is a sign that will make or break the marriage. Our culture places a tremendous emphasis on having a great wedding and not enough focus on having an awesome marriage. It's okay to be temporarily obsessed and to yearn for the perfect wedding -- we all go there at some point -- but you have to keep your eye on what's truly important.
 Wedding Goddess Antidote: Step back and realize, the most important part of the day is not the day itself ... but that you walked down that aisle and into the arms of the person you love … the one you look forward to building your life with. You will have a lifetime in which you can create more memories ... the wedding day, while important, is only one of the many experiences and memories you will share!
Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway of the New York area is a non-denominational wedding officiant, who regularly marries couples in love. She is also widely recognized as a bridal stress expert devoted to helping brides-to-be tap into their inner power and poise. She is co-facilitator of The Bridal Survival Club and author of WEDDING GODDESS: A Divine Guide To Transforming Wedding Stress into Wedding Bliss (Perigee Books, May 2005). Visit her at www.WeddingGoddess.com.
 Which ceremony form and style best fit’s your wedding desires and personalities?
Let’s begin to break it down by addressing the basics of each wedding form and style.
The Ceremony Forms are;
Traditional. These are typically faith-based and culled from the tradition the bride and groom were born into.
Non-denominational. A spiritual ceremony that includes reference to God, but does not adhere to any particular religious protocol.
Non-religious. Usually includes no reference to faith and typically does not mention God. (Some people call it a civil ceremony, but in fact a civil ceremony often mentions God).
Interfaith. This is a blending of two or more faiths, by including aspect of religion or religious rituals or readings that are symbolic of each faith.
Intercultural. This is a blending of cultures – such as a Filipino veil ceremony with a Chinese red string ritual and yet can certainly also blend religious aspects.
Any Ceremony Form, for the most part, may be applied to any Wedding Style.
The Wedding Styles are;
Black Tie, Formal, Informal, Casual and Elopement.
These are the terms used to dictate the level of formality, attire and ambiance of a wedding. Each style type plays an important part in the planning, direction and execution of your wedding as a whole.
Your preference will determine the ceremony style and direction, the reception, dining service, menu details and the capacity and ambiance of the wedding venue.
Of course, contingent on your personality styles, comfort zones and budget, each wedding style will have different levels of presentation, preparation and cost involved. When beginning to formulate your wedding plans it’s important to consider what you and your spouse-to-be will be most comfortable with.
The wedding style you select will also indicate what attire your wedding party and guests will wear. Everything about the wedding plans will hinge on your wedding’s overall level of style and level of formality, which should also be clearly indicated within your wedding invitations.
 If you and your partner are usually on the casual side, then having a black tie wedding may not be comfortable fit for you. Then again, this is one time in your life when you may very well want to go all out, splurge and really crank up the formality and grandeur of your big day.
As you consider the elements of your wedding, strive to keep within the same level of formality and style throughout your wedding event so that entire day will flow with ease, grace and style.
Now, let’s take a look at what each wedding style typically entails.
 View Ceremony Options The Royal Swans
A Black Tie Style Wedding
Traditionally, black tie attire marks a very formal event — one that takes place in a grand hall, a house of worship or an upscale hotel, the reception provides an elaborate menu, beginning with cocktails and a full service dining staff. The reception is typically 200 plus guests and a large wedding party. Black tie weddings don’t have to be in the evening. Your wedding can begin in the late afternoon and still be very formal. Brides and bridesmaids wear elegant, full-length gowns (with a full train and veil for the bride), and grooms and groomsmen wear traditional black tailcoats and pants, white stiff shirts with white ascot ties, black socks and shoes.
 View Ceremony Options The Wedding Doves
A Formal Style Wedding
A formal wedding is typically held in a house of worship or hotel, starts in the afternoon or evening, has a sit-down dinner or buffet at the reception and features at least 100 guests.
The bride and groom each traditionally have between three and six attendants. The bride at a formal wedding wears a full-length gown with a sweep or chapel train, and a fingertip veil. Grooms and groomsmen wear tuxedos: black coats, black pants, white shirts, black vests and black ties. Bridesmaids match in full-length dresses.
 View Ceremony Options The Peacock Chic
A Semi-formal Style Wedding
A semi-formal wedding can be held in a house of worship, but you can also have one in a home, an outdoor location or another spot. It traditionally starts in the afternoon, has a simple meal or refreshments at the reception and features fewer than 100 guests. The bride and groom each have between one and three attendants.
The bride wears a full- or cocktail-length gown with a short train or no train at all and a fingertip veil. The groom and groomsmen wear matching tuxedos or dark suits, and bridesmaids wear matching full- or cocktail-length gowns.
 View Ceremony Options The Humming Bird
The Informal Style Wedding
An informal wedding is usually held during the day in a home, garden or another spot that isn’t a house of worship. It has a simple meal or refreshments at the reception and the guest list can range from 50 to 100 .
The bride and groom typically have one to two attendants each.
Informal brides may wear a knee- or cocktail-length wedding dress with no veil or anything from a pantsuit to a linen sundress. The men might wear suits and ties or shorts and flip-flops, depending on the occasion.
 View Ceremony Options The DragonflyA Casual Style WeddingPerfect for casual gatherings up to 50 guests.
A "Just Marry Us" Simple Ceremony Style. A lovely casual ceremony, well suited for homes, gardens, parks, hotels.No rehearsal necessary and the bridal couple is accompanied by only one attendant each. This ceremony style is very popular for Encore Weddings, Theme Weddings and Vow Renewal Celebrations.
 View Ceremony Options The Butterfly A Mini Casual Style Wedding Not quite a Casual Wedding yet not quite an Elopement. This lovely little ceremony is perfect for small intimate gatherings of up to 20 guests. A Simply Sweet "Just Marry Us Style" Short Ceremony. No rehearsal necessary. Perfect for Homes, B&B's, Restaurants and Parks.
 View Ceremony Options
 Create Your Biker Chic Stomping Grounds Wedding with Us! Because riding motorcycles is your passion. You choose your clothes by how much flapping they do in the wind and either you have had, or seriously thought about having a motorcycle in your living room.
Riding motorcycles is a lifestyle for most of you reading this article or else you wouldn’t be here. Life is all about sharing what we love with those that we love. That’s why we have wedding ceremonies. To share our love with those we love.
There’s a saying, “I’d rather be riding my motorcycle thinking about God, than sitting in church thinking about my motorcycle.” If you don’t have a biker wedding, how many of your guests are going to be thinking, “I’d rather be riding my motorcycle than sitting in this church…” If it’s not raining, probably most of them.
Chances are he suggested the biker wedding idea. She wants the fairy tale wedding. So what do you do? Give give him what he wants, add her touches and you’ll have a beautiful, tailored-for-you wedding, that everyone will remember. Guys have enough trouble getting excited about the details of a wedding. Make things easier on both of you, have a biker wedding and he’ll be much more willing to participate in the planning.
So why should you have a biker wedding? Because your mom told you to stay away from people like that!
Article Source: Two Wheel Weddings
 One of our South Central Kansas Biker Rally Wedding Venue suggestion is... The Beaumont Hotel. BTW, On the 2nd Sunday of each month, they have motorcycle ride ins, where you can join up to hundreds of others riding through the Flint Hills and stopping by the historic Beaumont Hotel. We offer a breakfast buffet from 7 am to 10:30 am. We will have a live band from 10 am to 1 pm. Bikers get 15% off a room if they book the night before! Relax in the beautiful Flint hills of Kansas; enjoy our hospitality that includes all the comforts of home. Award winning rooms, a restaurant noted for steaks, unique hamburgers, fried chicken and a sumptuous homemade breakfast.
The hotel is open daily as a bed and breakfast all year round. The cafe dishes up hearty meals Wednesday through Sunday every week except for January and February. The hotel never closes. There’s also Wi-Fi, voice mail, facsimile, television, and a private meeting room for business retreats.
The Beaumont Hotel is a perfect weekend getaway or a strategic stopover on a cross-country hop. Stay a night, stay a week – your welcome is guaranteed to be warm and friendly as you and your fellow travelers swap stories and savor the beauty, peace and quiet of this very special piece of Americana.
 Cassoday - The Sturgis of Kansas
About an hour south of Council Grove on Highway 177 is Cassoday, Kansas. It's not far from the Kansas Turnpike. But don't blink as you ride through. It's that kind of small rural community where Main Street is a gravel road. There's a small U.S. Post Office, an antique store, an auto-body-welding shop, a couple of other buildings, and a cafe surrounded by a few houses. On a good day, the population of Cassoday might be 100! But come the first Sunday of the month, May through October, the little community of Cassoday rumbles with the thunder of thousands of motorcycles, and the business community grows with the addition of motorcycle vendors. Cassoday is quickly becoming the Sturgis of Kansas six days out of the year. Checkout Scenic Rides & Destinations Review
 Arrange your Pre-Sturgis Bike Rally Wedding in town with us...cause Grandma may not to be up to the road trip to Sturgis. We all have family members that we want to attend our weddings, in fact, it just wouldn't be the same without them. Keep your Biker Weddings local so all of your family members can attend and celebrate your special day with you! See you at the Alter,
Rev. Allie www.PreciousVows.com You may print this article for your personal use only. Do not reproduce it by other means or for another purpose without permission
Copyright © 2013 My Life's Precious Vows and Celebrations
 How to Crowdsource Your Wedding Photos with Instagram It’s crazy to think how much technology has changed the way we interact with our weddings. I’ve only been married a few short years, but thanks to iPhones and…well, let’s face it, iPhones, the landscape now is completely different than it was then. In some ways this is not so great (ever been to a wedding where the guests spent more time recording the ceremony than experiencing it?) and in other ways, it’s kind of awesome. In the time since we ran our first ever How To DIY Your Wedding Photography post, advancements in technology and user-friendly social media platforms have made wedding photography even more accessible than ever. So today I’m excited to introduce Mallory, who crowdsourced her kick ass wedding photos through Instagram. And she wants to show you how.
—Maddie
Crowdsource Your Wedding Photos (With Instagram)
Early in our planning, we agreed that we didn’t want hundreds of posed wedding photos. Flipping through years of pictures, the candids always transport us back to the moment the picture was taken. Our favorites include amateur snapshots taken by family and friends with cheap digital cameras, iPhones, and even a few wind-up disposables.
So we decided to crowdsource our wedding photos.
I was in the middle of launching a project at work, using a mix of social media tools to compile photos from students at my university. And then it hit me—we could use this same idea for our wedding! And so project “Instagram Our Wedding” was born.
You will need these (free) tools:
• Instagram mobile app
• Predetermined wedding hashtag
• Online photo storage site
• Account on ifttt.com
• Several wedding guests with smart phones
From there you just have to:
1. Download the Instagram mobile app on your smart phone device. For noobs, Instagram is a (free) social, photo sharing app. You can take pictures, add cool effects, and share them with your friends. It’s like your Facebook newsfeed with pictures only. Drink the kool-aid, hipsters.
2. Choose a wedding hashtag. Just like Twitter, Instagram filters pictures by using “hashtags.” For example, our tag was #pbwed. So if you were to search #pbwed on Instagram, you would find a boatload of lovely photos taken at our wedding by our beloved guests. (Tip: before you begin, search for your chosen hashtag to make sure no one else is using it.)
3. Decide where you want to store your photos. It’s best to use pre-existing accounts to save yourself some hassle. A few options include: Dropbox, a Facebook page (not profile), or Flickr account. In the next step, you’ll perform some wizardry that will automatically upload your Instagram photos to your photo storage site.
4. Create an account on ifttt.com or, “If this, then that.” First you will activate “channels,” which will include Instagram and the photo storage options you chose in step #3. Basically you are linking your existing accounts to the site.
Next you will create “recipes,” which will create a chain reaction. For example, we created two recipes for our wedding:
IF THIS [wedding guest tags a photo with #pbwed on Instagram],
THEN THAT [photo automatically uploads to preexisting Facebook wedding album]
IF THIS [wedding guest tags a photo with #pbwed on Instagram],
THEN THAT [photo automatically uploads to preexisting Flickr album]
Be patient with ifttt.com. It took us a few test photos before we got it right. (Tip: you must link your accounts before you create the recipe/s.)
5. Share your genius plan. Soon after we announced our engagement, we created a wedding-themed Facebook page to share updates with our friends and family. We gave simple instructions, “Help us document our wedding! Snap pictures of celebratory gatherings, bachelor/bachelorette parties, and our wedding ceremony using Instagram. Tag with #pbwed.” We also included the instructions in our wedding program.
It was awesome to see our wedding day from multiple perspectives. We have photos documenting all of the celebrations leading up to our actual wedding day. We were able to spot new friendships forming and what our guests enjoyed at our party. Our guest list was small, but we ended up with 263 photos from Instagram alone. Sure, they’re a little blurry and unfocused—but to us, they are treasures reminding us of the love and laughter we shared that day. If you are looking for a way to supplement your professional wedding photos and keep your guests engaged—give this recipe a try!
Instagram from Mallory’s Wedding
Article Source: A Practical Wedding
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 The Butterfly Mini Wedding just might be the perfect solution to your pre-wedding postulations. Butterfly Mini Weddings are most generally comprised of guest lists of approximately 35 guests.
Butterfly Mini Weddings are fast becoming increasingly popular for a number of reasons, let's review to see if it's a right fit for you.Butterfly Mini Weddings are first and foremost very affordable, fast and easy to plan and they offer any number of flexible options that are simply loaded with fun, unique and creative expression that is limited only by your imagination. There are a number of reasons why having a Butterfly Mini Wedding could be the best fit when contemplating your wedding plan possibilities.
Budgets might be a factor when sifting through the grab bag of wedding planning considerations, but not always. Let's look at the most popular reasons couples seek out a Butterfly Mini Wedding. The Second Marriage scenario, also referred to as an Encore Wedding. You have already done the big expensive thing...you've been there and done that...and don't want to do it again. Now being a little older and wiser, you want a wedding that's small, very personal and intimate with just close friends and immediate family. You both want to celebrate and relish the moment of your marriage and the precious gift of a new love found.
 Couples having a Blended Family Wedding often prefer smaller wedding events, seeking a more relaxed cozy and comfortable nuptial celebration with the children. Blended Family Couples want the children to experience a truly bonding moment within the new family being formed on that most special day. It's a very precious time for everyone that will create cherished memories throughout a life time. Butterfly Mini Weddings, much like Cinderella's Slipper, is a perfect fit for this sort of very special occasion.
 Another perfect fit for the Butterfly Mini Wedding is the Anniversary Vow Renewal Wedding, when you want to celebrate a landmark moment in your marriage...what a beautiful celebration. There is also the Sunset Mature Couple's wedding. Mini Weddings are just right for this most special event. Love knows no limits, isn't it just wonderful?! Whatever the motivation or preferred style may be, the Butterfly Mini Weddings have a lot to offer.
 Last, but certainly not least...many of us have four legged family members too. We simply wouldn't even consider having a wedding without them being a part of the ceremony and the festivities. Choosing the Butterfly Mini Wedding makes it possible to have all the loveliness and romance of a wedding without over whelming our beloved furry children or having to leave them out of the celebration. In this way our fuzzy angles can fully participate in all of the fun, surrounded by those he or she is most familiar with. Of course, you do realize, he or she will be completely convinced that this grand little celebration is all about them. No worries...I'll keep your secret safe and sound. Check Date Availability now!
 Small is today’s most popular wedding trend. It’s all about quality, not quantity.
Today’s perfect wedding is an intimate wedding.
Many of today’s To Be Wed Couples are gravitating toward smaller and much more personal gatherings when contemplating their wedding plans. Typically, both the bride and the groom are busy working professionals with hectic lifestyles to contend with. The last thing they want is more hectic demands placed on them with grandiose wedding plans. As a result, what couples are truly seeking, is a genuine, personal, intimate experience for their wedding event.
 Today’s wedding couples want to celebrate this most important day surrounded by the people who know and love them well, their closest friends and family. They want to feel more at ease and relaxed with their guests, to feel free to fully enjoy the flow of everything to do with their wedding. They aim to create a cherished celebration with close-knit friends and family, rather than the typical trappings of a big glitz and glamour production.
 As I visit with today’s wedding couples, I have to say, I certainly see the wisdom in their choices. Many enjoy having the financial freedom to splurge on what’s truly important to them when they elect to have a smaller guests list, such as the Unity in Glass Sculpture. Some couples choose a small guest list not necessarily because their budgets are small, but because they can pull out all the stops and have a truly lavish wedding. With fewer guests you can focus on the things that really matter. Like that perfect honeymoon you have always dreamed of, or perhaps an elegant catered dinner; while others it might set their sights on having a live band.
 Plus, they enjoy more options when choosing a venue. Since you won’t need a large space to accommodate your guests, many small wedding charming venues will be open to you. In South Central Kansas many couples are blessed to either have homes in the country, or know someone that does. The results are The Rustic Country Chic Wedding events and are some of the loveliest home weddings you could hope for.
 The freedom to customize your wedding to your own tastes gives you the opportunity to get your creative juices flowing and make your wedding a unique reflection of the two of you. The possibilities are endless.
Today’s wedding couples want to be able to spend quality time with their guests, this being one of the big wedding essentials. How many weddings have you attended that left you feeling like another face in the crowd fulfilling a social obligation? Small weddings aren’t like that. When the guest list is small, the bride and groom can spend quality time with each of their guests, making them feel welcome and creating cherished life long memories that everyone will remember fondly.
Small weddings offer greater opportunity for real bonding, by way of getting your loved ones from both sides of the family involved in your special day. Which, I think you’ll find, that they will absolutely adore the opportunity of getting evolved with the planning and decorating. Also, it’s a whole lot easier and way more fun for the DIY wedding couple with a guest list of 75 or under.
 At the end of the day, what you and your guests remember will be those special moments and loads of loving memories that will always be treasured. After all, isn’t that one of the true reasons for a creating a wedding celebration in the first place? I’m thinking so.
See you at the Alter!
Rev. Allie
www.PreciousVows.comYou may print this article for your personal use only. Do not reproduce it by other means or for another purpose without permission
Copyright © 2013 My Life's Precious Vows and Celebrations
 Elegant, Affordable Wedding Ideas For The Mature Wedding Couple in Wichita Kansas.
It's likely you are looking for something elegant, but not too formal.
Some place special, fun, may be even a little bit fluttery with a perhaps a small dance floor, but you aren't interested in a full on reception bash.
A place that's romantic, stylish, offers great service, delectable menu choices and provides a good service staff. And all without breaking the bank, of course!
By this time your probably wondering just how you are going to pull all this off or if it's even doable. Well, the good news is, it's perfectly doable!
As a mature wedding couple or an encore wedding couple, there are a number of wonderful full service venues to choose from in Wichita and the surrounding areas.
 Depending on the ambiance and wedding theme you are seeking, there are many delightful options to choose from. For the ceremony, several venues offer a open patios, beautifully decorated court yards and fun airy sundecks, many with views, all perfect for a small ceremony to mid sized wedding events. Many are per-decorated and would require just a few well placed personal touches to make it your own.
Lining up your wedding officiant is a breeze too. Just click HERE to view our ceremony options, check date availability and reserve one of our Wedding Officiants. Need special ceremony customizing, have questions or looking for some great ways to celebrate your wedding vows?
We can help you with all of your ceremony planning and preparation.
 After the ceremony, many of theses venues also offer cozy private dining areas for your wedding party festivities. The menu selections are wide and varied, buffets, full service dining or cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, whatever strikes your fancy and fits your wedding budget.
Some offer live entertainment and dance floors for no additional charge, that is if you don't mind sharing with others, I say the more the merrier! Chances are, they will very much enjoy making a bit of a fuss over you newly weds, all in good fun and the price is right!
To really make this easy for you and to get you started off on the right foot with your venue search, here are three of our favorites.
Cafe Bel Ami Request Quote Cafe Bel Ami is the destination of choice. Favorite of couples and those celebrating special occasions. A full line of audio visual equipments make it a breeze for large business meetings and celebrations.
Hereford House - Terradyne Request Quote Hereford House Steakhouse and Restaurant at Terradyne is open to the public serving Wichita and the Wichita area. We proudly serve Sterling Silver Beef at Hereford House Steakhouse and Restaurant.
Larkspur Restaurant & Grill Request Quote Larkspur Restaurant and Grill is well equipped to serve your special event needs. Our goal at Larkspur is to make your event as memorable and pleasant as possible. It has seating for 75 and cocktails for 125 guests.
For more choices click here. So, you see...this is going to be so much easier and fun than you could have ever imaged. I hope you enjoyed our helpful hints and tips. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
See you at the Alter!
Rev. Allie
www.PreciousVows.comYou may print this article for your personal use only. Do not reproduce it by other means or for another purpose without permission
Copyright © 2013 My Life's Precious Vows and Celebrations
 Details Selecting a Pre-Wedding Gift , Bridal Shower Gift, Engagement Party Gift That Will Always Be Treasured!
Selecting a gift for that special Bride and Groom can be a real ho-hum cookie cutter experience. If your looking a gift that stands out from the rest and guarantees a serious no fail wow factor, then Unity in Glass is the absolute best pick. Each Unity Glass Sculpture is individually hand crafted by the artist. The very moment of their Unity is captured for all time in such a way that can be proudly and elegantly displayed throughout all the years of their life together, held within a one of a kind timelessly beautiful glass sculpture. The search is over...you have just found the ultimate wedding gift treasure...order now!
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